Leviathan
by PipessG
Summary: When a strange girl with suspicious abilities catches the eye of Nick Fury and he sends one of the Avengers to bring her under their protection, how will things turn out for them? She is different... Full summary inside -
1. Chapter 1: An Unexpected Request

_When a strange girl with suspicious abilities catches the eye of Nick Fury and he sends one of the Avengers to bring her under their protection, how will things turn out for them? She is different. There is something wrong with her. Most of the time they can't decide if they should kill her or let her live. And then, they learn of her past - of all the secrets she has hidden. Her ledger is dripping, gushing, pouring - a whole ocean of red. And she? She is the most terrifying monster lurking in those black and red, mysterious and unexplored waters that can swallow the world and everyone in it._

* * *

_**Spoilers from Endgame! Do not read if you haven't seen it! No hate, please. If you don't like it, then don't read. Thank you. **_

* * *

_ New York, Circa 2024_

_Flashes. That was plaguing Tony's mind. Flashes. The war. The huge army. Thanos. And most of all, the gauntlet. The gauntlet he created. A device powerful enough to hold the Infinity Stones. And then, there was this one sound – the snapping of fingers. His fingers. And then everything was blurry and slowly darkening. He could hear voices. _

_"Mr Stark! We won, Mr Stark!" _

_"You can rest now…" _

_And then blackness. Abyss. Swallowing him. He truly felt at peace. He felt relaxed. Everything eased as it fell into silence. _

_And then, there was this jerking sensation. It was sucking at him, pulling him, tugging at his very being. And then he was choking, desperately trying to get some air. His vision was blurry again. And then it cleared. But what did he see? A graveyard. He was surrounded by perfectly mowed grass and hundreds of tombs. And it was night. A very dark night. Only the lightning bolts in the distance threw some faint light. Enough light for him to see his own gravestone. _

_Anthony Stark_

_Beloved father, lover and friend._

_Billionaire, genius, philanthropist._

_The greatest mind the world has ever seen. _

_A true hero. _

_Iron Man. _

_"I… am… Iron Man…" _

_He grasped the cold stone, staring at it intently. Then he looked at his body. Perfectly intact. He grasped his hands, feeling the roughness and the realness of them. Then everything seemed like a dream as he slowly stood up and started walking, all the while thinking how was this possible. What happened? Why did it happen? Who did it? Who, who, who? That question was burning him from the inside out just as much as the question 'How'? _

_And then he saw his house. He couldn't even remember by what means he reached it. And then there was Pepper, looking mortified and pale as the first snow during winter. Morgan mirrored her before she squealed in delight and jumped into his arms. But he was too shocked to respond. He just kept staring ahead as if in a daze._

* * *

Tony gasped as he sat upright in his bed. His hands shook and he tightened them in fists, trying to stop the trembling. His heart beat so fast, just like a rabbit's.

"Tony?" he heard a murmur and shifting and he sharply turned to look at a sleepy Pepper.

"It's ok, Pep. Go to sleep," he threw her a small, tight, smile before placing a kiss on her temple and standing up, slowly walking out of the bedroom and slithering into the kitchen to pour himself some water. A week. It has been a week since that happened and he was still shaken to the core.

He was supposed to be dead. The amount of radiation that the stones flooded him with was way too much. Only people like Bruce, Thor or Steve should've been able to survive after a snap. Bruce had the Hulk which was ironically a creature born out of radiation. Thor was a god. He had taken the full force of a star and survived. And Steve had the serum which came with a very strong healing factor. Well, maybe Steve didn't have a chance like Hulk or Thor. They would never know now. Steve was an old grandpa. Natasha was gone too. And Tony was supposed to be gone as well.

His grasp on the handle of the ceramic mug tightened and he put it down harshly, the loud clank shattering the deadly silence of the dark room.

He was glad. He was glad that he was alive. He was glad that he would be able to see Morgan grow up. To see Peter grow up and turn into an incredible man. He was glad that he would be able to spend time with his family and friends without having to fear about any dangers anymore. He would finally have the life he craved for – a peaceful and happy life with the people he loved.

But not yet. He couldn't do that until he learned how he was alive and who was the person who brought him back from the freaking dead.

When everyone learned, they were overjoyed but freaked out at the same time. He couldn't blame them. He was feeling the same.

They did multiple tests on him but there was nothing abnormal. He was Tony. Just Tony. The same person he was before his death. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him. As if he never even died. Just took a year's sleep.

Tony sighed as he made his way from the kitchen counter to the living room, fully intending on crashing on the sofa and staring at the wall while his brain raced with questions and theories, as he did every night for the past week, when a shadow in the corner caused him to jump startled.

"Hello, Stark," greeted him the person and Tony exhaled sharply.

"Fury. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked and the man neared the billionaire, handing him a flash drive.

"I came here because I have found something rather interesting," started Fury and Tony raised an eyebrow. "There is a girl. We don't know much about her except what's on this flash drive. But from the video material we managed to get our hands on, it's obvious that she is quite strong. Another thing that is suspicious is that we located HYDRA agents not far away from her location. It makes me think that they are after her," revealed the man and Tony huffed, taking the flash drive.

"So you think that there is some strong girl that HYDRA is after? Is that it?" he asked as he put a hand on his hip. "And you what? What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to go find her, take her and bring her in," drawled the one-eyed man and Tony's eyebrows lifted once again.

"Why me?"

"Because I've been watching you for some time now. You are torturing yourself with questions and speculations. You need to do something before you drive yourself crazy. I'm giving you a mission," said the man firmly and Tony exhaled deeply.

"HYDRA, huh? Even after what? Six years?"

"Well, we were able to capture, imprison and kill many of their agents. We almost totally destroyed them but… then Thanos happened. And then the five years happened, which for all of us dusted ones, seemed like five hours. The few surviving HYDRA agents apparently thought that the moment was perfect, what with the remaining Avengers taking care of the people and the catastrophes happening around the world, they probably thought they could start gathering people again and continue with their plans. And I do admit the moment for that was perfect… Thanos really did snap away the wrong half," sighed Fury and Tony nodded gravely. "We should stop them before they have gathered manpower and strong individuals like this girl… before it's too late and they are back on their feet like before SHIELD fell apart."

"All right, fair enough, I'll go," Tony agreed as he stood up and left the cup on the small table, walking towards the bedroom until he halted and whirled, sending Nick a curious gaze. "Wait, where am I going again?"

"Bulgaria… Everything you need to know is in the flash drive."

* * *

_Somewhere in Bulgaria_

It was a quiet and peaceful night. The light breeze carried the scent of poppies, lavender, primrose, violets and many other wild flowers, alongside the distant laughter of people. The stars were lazily twinkling and the moon was high in the sky. It was close to midnight when a lone figure sat down on the soft grass, gazing at the small village below, from the high spot on the hill.

"Hey," muttered a voice, causing the girl to slightly turn her head, looking backwards at the person who just interrupted her peace, his footsteps echoing in the silent night as his boots crunched the long grass.

"Why did you come all the way here from the capital?" she murmured as she faced away from the approaching figure, staring back at the village.

"You know that I couldn't have simply called you. They have good people. Skilled people. They must be eavesdropping on all phone lines," he informed her and she hummed.

"That's true."

"Why are you so calm about all this?" he asked with an exasperated sigh. "This is HYDRA we are talking about. Doesn't it bother you that your cover has been blown and they are finally coming close to finding you?" he asked incredulously. "You must leave this country. Change your ID again. Hell, you can create artificial skin, so what's stopping you from finding a way to make a mask and change your face?"

"Kaline… shut the fuck up," she spat out and he took a step backwards. "I'm not running away. I'm sick of it. I'm not going to mask myself either. I'm going to face them once and for all."

"Don't be daft! This is a trap. You will end up back in their hands. HYDRA fell thanks to the Avengers a few years ago. If they manage to get you, their glory will be… revived."

"I know the risks. I'm not an idiot. I know my limits as well. I also know that sometimes, we have to push ourselves over our limits in order to become stronger… better. And I'm always up for the latter," she spoke lowly as she sent him a crazed smirk, making him gulp.

* * *

_Bulgaria, Sofia_

"Tell me, what do you see?" asked the brunette as she calmly sat on a wooden chair, her long, sharp nails drumming rhythmically on the table, a black porcelain cup of steaming coffee was held in her other hand while her eyes rested on the people passing by the cafeteria, observing them closely. It was Monday and rush hour at that so it was bound to be full of people.

"So far, nothing," came in a male voice from her earpiece, causing her to grunt quietly as she brought the cup to her rose-colored lips, taking a sip before she brought the cup back on the table, a light clank was heard as the porcelain made contact with the glass.

"I've been sitting here for hours. This is my fifth coffee. I've read around ten newspapers and magazines," she growled lowly and the man on the other side exhaled loudly.

"This is the most central part of the city and you know it. HYDRA is searching the land and the skies for you. Someone is bound to pass by here and when they do, you will recognize them. We are on the lookout for anyone suspicious from high-ground. That was the plan. Stick to it," he snapped at her and she huffed. "I know that you are impatient and you hate waiting but that's how things ar-" he drawled before completely cutting off his sentence, causing the girl to stand on edge.

"What is it?" she whispered as she looked around discreetly.

"I think I saw someone, but I'm not quite sure. He is crossing the street. Will soon pass by the cafeteria," he informed her and she straightened her back, her eyes, hidden behind big sunglasses, darting to the supposed location of the person in question, and widening in shock when they finally came to view, passing by her and not even looking in her direction. Her hands balled into fists as she glared so hard that she felt like she could break the sunglasses.

"You there? Did you recognize him? Or is he not who I think he was?"

"No, it was him. Boris Lebedev," she spat out as she quickly stood up, following after the man.

"Will you really engage?" he asked quietly and she grunted.

"Do I look like a person who will sit back and hide forever like some coward?" she shot back and he groaned, making her smirk bitterly. "That's right."

The man walked fast, turning left and right and weaving his way through the alleys until he finally reached a dead end. The girl stepped from behind the corner and stood there, arms at her side, feet firmly planted on the ground as she stared him down.

"Let's stop with the cat and mouse game, Boris," she spoke calmly in Russian and the man chuckled.

"I wonder, though, who is the cat and who is the mouse?" he mused as he turned to face her, smirking tauntingly. Her face, schooled in an emotionless, cold mask, did not even twitch.

"Did you really think you would escape HYDRA? Even with your new ID and you, basically disappearing from the radar by hiding in this small country, did you think we wouldn't use everything to track you down?" he asked mockingly and she just shrugged.

"It worked for quite some time."

"And it fails now."

"I'm not coming back," she growled and he chuckled.

"I'm afraid you have no choice."

"I have nothing to lose neither I have something you can threaten and blackmail me with," she countered and he frowned.

"That's true. Which is why we're gonna take you by force," he grunted in irritation and a dozen of agents appeared, surrounding her. She sighed as she watched them start running towards her with taser rods. No weapons. She smirked. They didn't want to attract attention. Her advantage.

"All right then. If you really wanna play that game," she muttered as she cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. She lifted the black skirt she was wearing, revealing a set of knives strapped on her thighs. Grabbing two in each hand, she whirled around, facing the agents approaching her from behind, and threw the knives. Two embedded in the chest of one man, while the other two managed to hit two others who were too close to each other.

She ducked when a fist came flying her way and she grabbed the wrist of the person tightly, lifting him in the air and smashing him hard on the ground. A taser rod made contact with her shoulder blade, and another – with her right tight – making her hiss in pain and irritation as she whirled and kicked the two men in their malleolus, making them grunt in pain as they staggered. She knocked them out with two fast hits to their temple. While she was busy dealing with them, more sneaked from behind her. One managed to grab her and block the movement of her arms while another, rather huge and bulky one, came towards her. She lifted her lower body, kicking him in the throat and causing him to falter, and locked her thighs around his head extra tightly, twisting them and breaking his neck. When he fell on the ground, taking her lower body with him, she used the gravitation pull and the heaviness of his dead body and gained enough momentum to flip the guy who was holding her from behind. Once he was down, she entwined her two hands and brought them down with a battle cry, smashing his skull.

She quickly stood up, ready to take on the rest of the agents, when something flew from the sky and landed close to her. The red and golden blur soon took a shape and her eyes widened when she saw the all familiar costume.

"Iron Man," she whispered as she watched him blast the remaining men. Boris snarled as he used the chaos to slip away, running from the abandoned alleys back to the filled with people streets.

Once all the men were down, Tony lifted his helmet and turned to look at the shocked girl. They stared at one another for almost a minute before he finally spoke.

"Hi," he managed to let out awkwardly after a long pause but she just kept staring at him. "So, uhm, you are the girl I'm supposed to take?" he semi-asked and she lifted an eyebrow.

"I don't know. You tell me," she returned and he took a few steps closer, observing her. "You are the infamous Tony Stark."

"One and only. At your service," he bowed mockingly and she rolled her eyes.

"What brings you in these lands?"

"You," he answered without a beat and her eyebrows shot to her hairline.

"Should I be frightened or honored?" she asked sarcastically.

"Maybe both."

"Lovely. And what business do you have with little old me?"

"We can't… exactly discuss this here," he told her as he scratched his ear, looking at the pile of bodies, and she huffed, her amusement melting into a cold mask.

"All right then. Do keep up, old man," she motioned as she stepped over the dead, and unconscious, bodies, moving through the silent alleys.

"I'm not… old," he returned after the shock of her calling him old disappeared.

"If you really were a genius, you would've said 'Old but gold', but no one's perfect," she smirked at his grumpy expression before they lapsed into tense silence as they walked before she whirled around with furrowed eyebrows. "You know, it will be best if you don't… you know… attract attention with your suit," she pointed out and he rolled his eyes. He never really cared about what people would think if they saw him. In fact, he loved attention. His suit retracted anyways and Tony was left in his normal sport clothes.

Some minutes later, they came across a black car and the girl slipped in the driver's seat, followed by Tony who made himself comfortable on the front seat. She hit the pedal and the tires squeaked as the car roared into life. Tony grinned faintly as she sped through the streets, causing some people to move away hastily.

"I have a thing for fast speeds. And I do enjoy myself some Fast and Furious," she answered his unspoken question with a slight smirk as she drove expertly and not long after, she parked the car and both of them exited. Tony looked around the abandoned factory in suspicion but quickly followed after the girl when seeing she wouldn't stop to wait for him. They climbed down the stairs and went in the basement where a huge metal door was located. She knocked a few times, in a pattern, and a minute later the door was opened by a tall, handsome man who raised an eyebrow at the newcomer.

"Um, why is Tony Stark with you?" he asked in Bulgarian and she shrugged, answering indifferently.

"Beats me. We're gonna find out soon enough," she entered and Tony followed hesitantly. The smell of disinfectant hit him and green, blue and white walls and marble tiles greeted him.

"What is this place?" he asked and the other man answered.

"This is a hidden lab. It was created years ago by scientists who hated the idea of inventing things for the government, only for these things to be stolen and hidden from the community. They wanted to create things that would help the people but with the government wanting to keep everything secret, that was impossible. So they had to take matters in their own hands," explained the man and Tony nodded.

"Understandable."

"My name is Kalin Tasev, by the way. It's such an honor meeting you, Mr Stark," Tony gave him a smile as the young man went for a handshake.

"Finally! What took you so long?" snapped loudly someone and the brunette let out an irritated sigh.

"I'm here, right? So calm down your man boobs," she drawled and the man rolled his eyes before they were set on the newcomer, widening in shock.

"T-this is… TONY STARK?!" he screeched as his eyes sparkled and he basically ran to the man, shaking his hand. "I-It's such an honor m-meeting you, Mr Stark. My name is Lyubo Tasev and this is my brother over there, but I guess you already met. My God, this is so exciting! What brings you here?" he babbled and the girl rolled her eyes before she grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from the startled but amused Tony.

"He is going to explain what he wants from me… very carefully and with all the details," she spoke lowly and Tony's eyes clashed with hers.

"All right, but, let's sit first," offered Kalin carefully as he scratched his head awkwardly and Lyubo nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, let's sit. I'll make tea," he informed as he dashed off to somewhere.

The girl shot Kalin a look and he nodded at her silent request.

"I'll give you two some alone time."

* * *

She silently led Tony to a room that was totally different from the surroundings outside its doorframe. She had told him that they called it "The Chill Room" because they would hang out there and drink, eat, read or just talk.

It was an enormous room. There were three white couches and two armchairs, with golden frames, that were in Victorian style and had lots of decorative pillows. There was a glass table in the middle that held a few succulent plants in an oval glass, as well as a little Zen garden. There was a big fluffy carpet covering the wooden floor, a big fireplace facing the couches and an even bigger TV screen above it. In the right corner by the window, there was a white piano and on the other – a tall plant that grew high and reached the ceiling. It was beautiful. And then the other part of the room was a huge kitchen, again in white, fully-stacked with all kind of tech and in the middle of the free space was a table – on top of which sat a big intricate vase full of roses – with six leather chairs and a porcelain raspberry decoration by the vase. There were a few sets of candles on a few places around the room and there was a big glass picture of a peacock by a blossoming tree on the sun – above the piano – and a huge chandelier with dangling and pleasantly clinking crystals.

She dropped her bag on one of the sofas carefully, before stalking to the kitchen and opening a cupboard, taking out two glasses before opening the huge, dull gray, glistening fridge, grabbing a crystal bottle of scotch, fully intending on pouring some of the strong, burning liquid for herself and her unexpected guest – since that was the only drink they had right now – after which she decided to go to the bathroom and wash her hands from the blood while Tony was still too busy ogling the room and going around touching things like running his fingers over the piano, observing the peacock art with an impressed expression, nodding his head in what seemed to be approval as his fingers rubbed his chin before he got bored and joined her in the kitchen, looking curiously at what she was doing, when he decided he was rather famished so he went for the fridge instead and opened it, searching for food, but he simply let out what seemed to be a mixture of groan, growl and a huff as he frowned deeply and started muttering something about the fridge being full of 'junk food' and how she had to eat healthy food if she wanted to live longer, mentioning that he also ate pizza and cheeseburgers from time to time but the overstuffed with junk food fridge was on a whole other, new, level of crazingess, causing her to snort in amusement as she watched the billionaire waltz over to the living room area and plop himself on one of the couches, waiting patiently for her, although it didn't escape her the way he fiddled with his fingers and how his eyes would nervously dart around the room in ways of thinking how he should start this conversation with her for which she couldn't exactly blame him considering the fact that they met like, barely an hour ago and he probably saw her going all wild against these agents and that would make anyone uneasy to be in her presence.

He was going to ask questions. She knew it. Clearing her throat, she gave him the glass, filled with rich, golden-brown liquid, before joining him on the couch, nursing her own glass.

"So, I'm all ears. Why did you come all the way here from America? Crossing the whole ocean? Damn I feel special," she sent him a teasing smile as she sipped the scotch. There was a long silence before Tony looked her in the eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked with a serious tone and she mirrored him.

"I'm just a simple girl with a suit. Much like you… But sometimes appearances can be… deceiving," she drawled and he hn-ed.

"Wisely said."

"Tell me," she whispered as she leaned towards him. "Tell me why you came here."

"Well, I saw on the news a girl who stopped a terrorist from blowing up people on this big event. I thought, wow, I should probably recruit her," he explained casually, suppressing the seriousness that lingered a second ago, and she let out a huff.

"Me? A random nobody you just saw kicking asses on TV and you decided to recruit… me?" she asked with a bit of surprise slipping through and he chuckled.

"I wouldn't call this the strangest thing I've ever done," he countered and she gave him a long look before pursuing her lips.

"All right, I'll give you that."

Both of them sipped their drinks simultaneously, the ice remnants clinking against the glass' side before making contact with their teeth, causing them to flinch slightly. There was another long period of silence as the two of them stared anywhere but at one another, until she decided to be the first one to break it.

"You want me to join the team… You want me to come to New York…" she muttered and his eyes darted lazily over to her form.

"Look, if you don't want to-"

"-I want to… I need to."

"Cheers to that then."

* * *

_New York, The Avengers Tower a.k.a The New, rebuilt Avengers Facility _

"That was interesting," hummed the female as she got out of the car, followed by Tony who grinned at her.

"Was this really your first time flying in a private, luxurious jet?" he asked again and she shot him a glare.

"Not all of us are rich, Stark," she countered and he nodded with a slightly arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

"Yeah, not everyone can be like me. Happy, take the lady's luggage to her room, would you," instructed Tony and the chubby man grunted quietly as he went to open the trunk, grabbing her suitcase which was surprisingly light.

She wasn't into clothes. She owned just a few jeans, sportswear, one skirt, some plain t-shirts and a few other tops. She wasn't a big supporter of "wear a different outfit every day". The girl swung her backpack over her shoulder and lifted her head, staring at the huge construction.

"Well… welcome to the new, old, Avengers Facility," patted her shoulder Tony as he walked towards the entrance. She followed after him and they walked inside. "After the one Upstate New York got destroyed, we just used the tower for a new one. Supplied it with everything and hired back all the people that used to work in the Facility Upstate," he explained. It wasn't much different than the hidden lab back in Bulgaria. The biggest difference was that everything was gray, black and transparent… transparent meaning glassy. Oh, and also the fact that it wasn't underground and it was high as fuck. They walked through the corridors for a few minutes until they reached and entered an elevator which took them up to the highest floors. When it opened, she let out a huff. They stepped in what appeared to be a huge living room. It had many leather couches in red and golden, big table to the side with lots of chairs, a kitchen at the other side with dark mahogany cupboards and dark, sprinkled with white, marble counter. There were a few plants here and there. It was luxurious.

But it was not the furnishing and the design of the place that got her attention, per se. It was the group of people gathered in the room, scattered – some on the sofas, some on the chairs, and some by the kitchen island – all staring at her. She schooled her features and looked at each and every one of them indifferently. Samuel Wilson – The Falcon, James Rhodes – The War Machine, Wanda Maximoff – The Scarlet Witch, Scott Lang – Ant-Man and King T-challa – The Black Panther.

"You didn't mention anything about such a grandiose welcome party, Stark," she said mockingly and he chuckled.

"Surprise," he sang-song equally mockingly as he outstretched his arms, motioning to the rest of the Avengers who were staring expectantly at the two, faces contoured in amusement. "Meet the other Avengers, kid."

Some uttered hi while other stayed silent. But out of everyone, there was one boy who stood up from the couch he was sitting on and neared the girl excitedly.

"Hi! My name's Parker… Peter… Peter Parker," he coughed awkwardly as he offered his hand for a handshake. "I'm a new Avenger. It's pleasure meeting you!" he exclaimed and she stared at him for a second before grabbing his hand and giving him a firm handshake.

"Name's Vera Petrova," she introduced herself. "There is no need for you to introduce yourself to me. I already know who y'all are," she shrugged before she glanced at Tony. "So? Where am I going to sleep? Hopefully not on the couch."

"Nope. I have everything prepared. Each member of the team has its own floor with a bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen and all in-between. Follow me," he motioned as he started climbing the stairs nearby. She shot the Avengers one last look over her shoulder before disappearing after the man.

"Well that was interesting," muttered Sam and Rhodey nodded.

"Did you feel it, though?" he asked and Sam glanced at him. "The air around her… there is something weird. I don't like the vibes she gives off," he murmured and Sam shot him a teasing smirk.

"After all these years in the army and you are developing paranoia now?"

"Takes one to know one."

"Well, whatever it is, we can't do anything about it. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Or we can use your mind reading powers. What do you say, Wanda?" She opened her mouth, ready to reply, when she was interrupted.

"Why would you guys want to do that?" asked Peter incredulously and they were about to speak when T'challa interrupted them.

"It's nothing. Don't mind them," he sent the boy a reassuring smile before he sent scolding looks at the two men who lifted their hands in surrender.

"You can't fool a veteran's instincts."

"All we are saying is… don't let your guard down."

* * *

A week. It has been a whole week since Tony Stark had encountered her in Bulgaria, asking her to come under his and the Avengers' protection because of her strength and abilities. They never asked about her past, about her abilities or anything actually. They were quite hospitable but she was not a fool. She could feel the tension rolling out of them in waves. They were highly suspicious and she couldn't blame them. They were right to be. But still, they weren't pressuring her and she was grateful.

For the past week she had barely left the confines of her floor, only visiting the training wing, but even then she did it during the night when everyone was asleep. All in all, she simply avoided any contact with the Avengers and she allowed only Tony to come over and try talking to her, simply because out of everyone he was probably the only one who refused to understand the meaning of the words "personal space" and "leave me alone". She wasn't a talker and she was sure he understood that. But damn was he stubborn. She didn't know what he was playing at. What he was trying to achieve. But she had to admit she loved his company and his snarky remarks.

But today she was feeling more sociable so she decided to get out of her room and do something different, maybe even strike a conversation with someone.

The moment she made an appearance in the living room, a few pair of eyes immediately focused on her. She didn't want to show or admit it but that was unnerving her.

"Well, look who decided to crawl out of their rabbit hole," commented Tony with his typical teasing smirk and she huffed in amusement, rolling her eyes, as she walked over to the kitchen counter, wanting to make herself some coffee.

"Tired of the solitude?" asked Wanda as she handed her a mug, with a small smile gracing her features, and Vera felt a push inside of her, something almost foreign that made her return the smile. She supposed it was her subconscious, urging her to make an effort, try to be a better person – more open, more friendly.

"I'm used to solitude," shrugged the girl as she accepted the mug and went over to the café machine. Her eyes swept over the other members. "Where is the king?" she asked curiously.

"He is back in Wakanda. He has matters to attend to, a country to rule. He is not in America often but he does come once in awhile. He is an Avenger too, after all," informed her Rhodey and she nodded, grabbing the now full mug and bringing the hot liquid to her lips.

"Well, me and Bruce have some work to do down in the lab so if we you need something, you know where to find us," quipped Tony as he gulped down the remaining of his drink before putting the cup in the sink. Vera looked at him for a moment, causing him to lock his eyes with hers, before she looked away and concentrated on the leather couch. His gaze lingered for awhile before he finally left the vicinity of the room. Wanda was the only one who noticed the exchange. The next few minutes were spent in silence.

"Well, this is awkward," muttered Sam in his cup and Wanda chuckled before turning to the other girl.

"It's so hard to be surrounded by the whole testosterone. Do you want to go out for a walk?" asked the redhead and Vera nodded.

"Oh, ok, we get the message," said Sam in a fake offensive tone.

Half an hour later, the girls were washed, dressed and out of the Tower, walking aimlessly through the streets of New York, heading to Central Park.

"You have pretty interesting powers," said Vera after some time and Wanda smiled.

"Yeah, I do... And you are not the person who the others think you are," returned the girl.

"Yeah, I'm not… I have to admit, this one question bugged me the moment my eyes landed on you. 'Will she read my mind?' I guess that question has an answer now," Wanda huffed through her nose and lowered her head a bit, a small sad smile forming on her lips.

"Ever since Sokovia, I promised myself to never use that aspect of my powers again. Mind reading is just… so intrusive. And mind manipulation even more so… It's wrong… But after everything with Thanos happened… I knew I had to expand my capabilities. Train myself. Better myself. And that included the mind reading," revealed Wanda and Vera shook her head in amusement.

"But you didn't want to train on the Avengers, right? You obviously consider them family. But when I came you saw a good opportunity. A stranger. One that is definitely not trusted by your fellow friends. Moreover, a stranger who is suspicious as hell and may even pose as a threat to said friends and perhaps even other people. It was beneficial for you, wasn't it? Both practice and make sure what my intentions are, keep an eye on me."

"Yes. You are right. I won't even deny it," admitted the girl. "But you don't seem bothered by that."

"Call me crazy but… I feel like I can trust you to keep whatever information you have on me hidden… at least for now.

"I will… And I know it's not my place to say this and that I probably will never understand how you feel… but I think you should start communicating more with the others. Show them that you bare them no ill will and that you are actually a good person behind the whole mask you put on your face."

"It's harder than you think. I have tried many times over the years. To bond with people. I have tried to be normal. To allow myself feelings and emotions. Just like anyone else. To smile, to grin, to laugh, to joke around, to be kind… It was a success for awhile… but then shit happened. It always does. So I told myself… what's the point? You finally feel comfortable with someone… with yourself… You finally feel free and let happiness and normalcy overtake the whole experience of suffering, blood, sorrow, guilt, insanity… and then everything is ruined and we are back to square one," sighed Vera grimly and Wanda let out a sad smile.

"Yes… it is easier to put on a mask and build walls… but they can be just as much threat to the normalcy."

"Indeed…"

* * *

Another week passed since then. Vera couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe herself. She never expected that Wanda's 'advice' would push her over the gloom and doom edge and make her more sociable than she has been in quite some time.

She actually sought out Wanda, wanting to speak to her about random things. She started training with the others in the Training Wing, actually enjoying sparring with Sam. She would even discuss science with Bruce, now merged with Hulk, over a cup of tea. And she had even more conversations with Tony.

Since he knew how mysterious and secretive she was about her life, he would mostly speak about himself and his life. He would tell her about his parents, about his strenuous relationship with his father, about his whole billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, life – the life before he became Iron Man. And then he would tell her about Afghanistan and all his adventures that came afterwards. Once, he had jokingly complained that he did all the talking, which he thought was unfair, and that caused her to spill some things to him about her past.

It was mostly related to her mother and how she raised her. How Vera was an artistic person at heart but she was blessed, and cursed, with photographic memory. And when that was discovered her father forced her to study everything science related. The thing was that, she didn't simply remember every word she read and was able to recall it by heart. She actually understood what she was reading and was able to apply it with ease which had proven her that she had a knack for science.

They both found out that they had quite some things in common. They loved classic rock, mostly AC/DC, they loved cheeseburgers, they loved cars and had a thing for fast speeds. And they were both terrified of the universe and everything that was out there, despite their immense curiosity and sense of wonder.

But Tony wasn't spending that much time in the Tower and Vera was actually starting to feel empty without him nearby and she would question herself just how fast things changed. Of course, despite being a bit more relaxed around her, everyone was still quite suspicious and didn't let their guard down, except Wanda.

"It's a beautiful sunset," muttered a voice behind her. She was currently standing, with crossed arms, in front of the big window-wall, overseeing the city and the setting sun. She was never a big fan of New York. It felt stifling. Overcrowded. Too much concrete. But sometimes it was beautiful.

"Yeah… What brings you here, Parker?" she asked as she finally faced him and he averted his gaze, shrugging.

"I came here to train. Now I'm hungry," he informed her and she nodded, taking notice of his slightly damp hair.

"The others shouldn't be long. We'll have dinner. I think Sam ordered Chinese? Or Indian? Not sure," she told him and his eyes widened. She smiled internally. The boy was adorable. He reminded her of a puppy – always brimming with energy and holding so much love, loyalty and admiration in its huge sparkling eyes.

"You mean you'll be staying for dinner? With us?" he asked her, an octave louder, and she scrunched up her face.

"Why? You don't want me to?"

"What? No, no, no! I do! It's just surprising that you would stay for dinner because you never do. You always go and eat on your floor and I've always wondered why would you do that because I'm pretty sure nobody enjoys eating all alone-"

"Parker! You are rambling," she interrupted him by taking fast steps towards him and grabbed his lips with her fingers. She let go when he nodded his head.

"Sorry," he apologized awkwardly and she rolled her eyes.

"Has anybody told you that you talk too much?" she asked and he pouted. But when he was about to say something, her eyes suddenly fell on something else, causing him to follow her gaze. It was a picture of a woman, not too small, not too large, neatly hung and framed with a simple deep red, polished wood. Vera took a few slow steps and stared at the picture with what Peter could barely decipher as longing.

"I really wanted to meet her, you know?" she whispered and he gulped. "She was my idol, despite not knowing her personally… Sometimes I felt a strong connection… Like we had many things in common…" she smiled sadly, lifting her hand and tracing her fingers over the long tresses of red hair ending up in blonde ombre.

"I'm sure you would've gotten along. But her sacrifice wasn't in vain," added Peter with a small smile and she returned it tiredly. Just then, the rest of the Avengers started coming one by one. The last one to appear was Sam, holding lots of plastic bags full of food.

"Plastic bags are a bad thing," commented Vera off-handedly as she went to take them off his hands and place them on the table, getting the food out and passing it over to Wanda so she can transfer it in plates. "They are bad for the nature."

"Paper bags tear too easily," retorted Sam and she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not talking about using paper bags either. Paper is made out of trees, so that's also bad for the nature. And they do tear way too easily so it's a total waste. It's much better if you use fabric bags. They are pretty strong and you can use them continuously without harming the nature," she explained and the occupants of the room lifted their eyebrows, giving each other looks.

"Your obsession with the… wellbeing of our planet is pleasantly surprising," commented Rhodey and she shrugged.

"What we have is a gift. Our planet could've been a total wreck which would've made our lives harder and miserable. But it's a beautiful place instead. Humans don't deserve such a gift because all they do is ruin it. They can claim that they have awakened, they can talk about saving the planet, they can watch hundreds of videos on YouTube that urge them to do something… but they never actually act. I don't really blame them, though. We have fallen so deeply that I don't think we'll ever be able to fix the shit we've caused. Still, it doesn't hurt to try and make things at least a bit more bearable," she shrugged as she took a plate and filled it with some veggies, still hot beef, and noodles. The others kept looking at her, nodding their heads slowly in agreement, and huffing in amusement as they too filled their own plates with food. Soon, everyone were seated on the huge table, eating and chatting.

"You seem awfully quiet," chirped Peter, who was seated next to her, and she chuckled lowly.

"I've said more than enough for one evening. Now it's time I go silent," she said and he frowned.

"Why should you be silent? I like the way you think. You should talk more often," he admitted and her eyes widened for a second.

"Well, thank you," she muttered and he gave her one of his typical wide smiles. "Where is Tony, by the way?"

"I think he went back home to his family."

"Oh… yeah… he has a family," murmured the girl and Peter shot her an odd look. When Vera finally lifted her gaze from her plate, she noticed Wanda staring at her. She shot her half a smile and shoved the remaining meat and noodles in her mouth, grabbing her plate and going over to the sink to wash it. That's when the elevator doors slid open and in walked a person.

"Hey," he greeted and Vera froze. She was hoping to never hear this voice again. She paid no heed to the others' greetings and quickly left the plate to dry, sneaking away as quietly as possible while everyone's attention was on the newly arrived person. She climbed the stairs as quick and silent as a shadow, the familiar view of her large living room giving her comfort. But that was not enough. She bolted to her bedroom and locked the door, sliding down on the floor.

It was him – the Winter Soldier – her temporary mentor back in the days. She had heard of him joining the Avengers but she didn't exactly believe it. Now she had the proof and frankly, she was terrified of going out and facing him. There were very few things that she was terrified of and unfortunately for her, Bucky was one of them, especially right now, as he could easily blow her cover and reveal to everyone her true identity. And she threw lots of hard work in order to become someone else. There was a knock on the door that made her jump as she looked at the white wood.

"Hey, Vera, there is someone I want you to meet. Come downstairs," came in Rhodey's voice and she let out a shaky breath before she stood up, straightening herself, and opened the door.

"I'm sorry, Rhodes. I don't feel so good," she muttered. "I'll just go lay down… I'm sorry," she sent him a tight, apologetic smile as she closed the door lightly. Returning to her bed, she plopped down on it and sighed. Just when she thought things were going good, they took 360.

For the rest of the night, the only thing she did was pace and occasionally start reading something only to throw it away because she couldn't concentrate.

"Fuck you, Barnes."

* * *

The next day started just as every other day for the past two weeks she had been in the Tower. Her third week was starting now and with every passing day she realized that things were getting harder and harder, especially with Bucky's sudden arrival.

Vera did her stretches and the usual intense morning exercises, took a long, hot bath, put on some clothes – consisting of military cargo pants, a white top, and deep brown combat boots – before she fixed her bed.

"Ms Petrova, Mr Stark is requesting your presence in the living room," came in FRIDAY's voice and the girl bit her lip.

"Who else is there?"

"Mr Wilson and Nick Fury."

This made her sigh in relief. She fixed her hair in a messy bun and exited the room, hesitantly going downstairs where she saw Tony, Sam Wilson and Nick Fury perched on the couches, having a friendly chat, before their eyes turned on her.

"You wanted to see me. Why?" she asked and Nick lifted his eyebrows.

"Straight to the point. I like that," he complimented and she sent him a faint smile.

"What are you waiting for? Invitation?" asked Tony with a roll to his eyes as he sipped from his mug, motioning to one of the chairs. "Sit."

"No, thank you. I'm perfectly fine where I am. If I want to sit, I will. I don't need an invitation," she spat out the last word. "So? What did you need me for?"

"First of all – introductions. This is Nick Fury, former-" started Tony but she quickly interrupted him.

"-director of Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division, otherwise known as SHIELD. Yeah, I know. I thought you were long gone from the world, director," she addressed the man and he shrugged.

"Some people return from the dead-" he began knowingly and she smirked bitterly.

"-because they have unfinished business," she finished. "How did you like hell?"

"Oh, it was more calm and peaceful than people say."

"Why? Big red guy was not there to pave a road full of punishment for the bad lads?" she asked with a scrunched up face as she crossed her arms.

"Nah, no devil I'm afraid," he hummed as he mirrored her.

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

"William Shakespeare – 'The Tempest.'" He grinned and she smiled as she approached the seated man.

"Nice to officially meet you, sir," she shook his hand and he nodded.

"Pleasure is all mine."

"Ok, that… was one of the weirdest things I've bore witness to," said Tony and Sam shook his head in amusement.

"It must say something considering the fact that you fought a grape with jewelry fetish," chuckled the girl and the rest joined her.

"Point taken."

"Well then, let's start, shall we?" clapped his hands the Iron Man as he pressed the holographic screen and various things appeared. The girl hummed as she grabbed four apples from a plate on the kitchen counter and approached the man with a few long strides. She juggled with the fruits before throwing one at each of the men, who caught them, and took a bite from her own, before she touched the holograms, moving them and reading the files one by one. Tony lifted an eyebrow, the corner of his lips twitching upwards as he bit on his own apple and watched her navigate expertly, as if she had done it multiple times already.

"Terrorists wrecking havoc. You want to see my skills and test me if I really am suitable to be part of this world-protecting rock band so you want to send me on a mission to stop these little shits," she stated and the men looked at one another before back at her, nodding simultaneously.

"You can't go alone which is why me and Tony decided it would be best if someone accompanies you. We think Sam would be a good choice for the occasion," said Nick and she hummed.

"The Falcon. My, my. Are you strict? Will you keep me under control?" she stressed the last two words, causing Sam's cheeks to heat just a tad bit as he cleared his throat.

"I made sure to record that," snorted Stark and Sam shot him a scolding look.

"C'mon, Falcon. We are tight on schedule from now on," ushered the girl. "Gentlemen," she bowed her head before whirling and walking out of the room, throwing the leftovers from the fruit right into the bin in the corner, Sam standing up to follow her only to cease and stare at the bin and then back at the girl.

"How did she even?" he asked and Tony shrugged.

"By-" started the man when she interrupted them.

"-calculating distance, position of body and arm, and the strength you use," she lifted her arm high and sent them a piece sign while she kept walking, causing Tony to smirk, almost proudly, and Sam and Nick to huff in amusement as the first finally followed her.

"Make sure to punish her if she does something wrong, Birdie," called Tony after them and Sam turned to send him a glare.

"Shut up, Tony."


	2. Chapter 2: A Contradiction

_Avengers Tower, a week later_

* * *

"I can't believe you did that!"

"What's so wrong with it?"

"What's so wrong? Are you kidding me? You allowed all these people to just die!"

"What is it to you!?"

"It's our job to protect them! To save the innocent!"

"It's my job to stop the bad guys. Nothing else matters!"

"It matters when there is collateral damage that could've been avoided!"

"There will always be collateral damage! It can never be avoided!"

Tony and Rhodey looked at each other as they heard the shouts coming from the elevator all the way up the living room. Both were having a rather good discussion on recent matters until the peace and calm was interrupted by the ruckus that Sam and Vera were causing. Just as the thought passed through their heads, the elevator doors opened and the pair in question stormed inside, Vera visibly irritated and seemingly wanting to escape, and Sam actually pissed off with a mixture of confusion, disappointment, shock and even concern etched onto his face.

"Speaking of the devil," smirked Tony. "Problems in paradise?" he asked mockingly until his eyes actually focused on the two.

"Holy shit," exclaimed Rhodey as he grabbed the couch and almost jumped to his feet while Tony just stared wide eyed at a bloodied Vera and an injured Sam. Both were very disheveled, looking as if they have passed through a huge grinder. There was a tense silence before Tony cut it off.

"Ok, what's wrong with you two? What happened out there?" he asked as he and Rhodey stood up and neared the man and woman, observing them. Sam looked at the woman heatedly and she finally cracked, throwing her arms in the air.

"All right! Fine! I kinda screwed up. I may have done something… bad," she admitted and the men looked at her incredulously, especially Sam.

"'Bad'? This doesn't even cover half of what you did."

"And what, do say, is the other more than half thing that she did?" asked Tony with crossed arms and Sam huffed, turning his attention to the man.

"You know about the mission. We were supposed to track down a group of terrorists, capture them and interrogate them. Everything was fine until we actually faced them and me and Vera managed to beat them and tie them up. But instead of bringing them in for interrogation and imprisonment, Vera took the matters in her own hands and interrogated them herself," recounted the man.

"I fail to see what's so wrong about that," blinked Tony and Sam gave him a look.

"She tortured them. It was one of the most gruesome things I've seen," he continued but Tony interrupted him again. He felt a weird need to take the girl's side.

"Have you seen Romanoff interrogating? That's gruesome."

"Tony, that's not the main problem, although it is quite bothersome. The thing is that after she got the information, she killed them. She slit their throats. But one of them managed to detonate the bomb that was attached to him and it exploded. And since Vera didn't deem it necessary to move them away, people died in the explosion," he bit out and she rolled her eyes.

"We encountered the terrorists at the end of the city near abandoned buildings," she stated flatly. "The people who died were four and they were all homeless beggars. Just four. I could hear their stomachs growling. If you ask me, I think we did them a favor by killing them off. If they can't survive the summer, then they would've been goners during the winter," she looked away as she crossed her arms, ignoring the disappointed looks she got.

"It doesn't matter, Vera!" he yelled as he threw his backpack on the ground angrily. "People still died and that's on you. But I feel like it's on me because I was sent on this mission with a purpose. To watch over you. You are not a God. You can't decide who dies and who lives."

"The end justifies the means. The mission is done and the world was ridden of a few parasites. If we had brought them in for imprisonment, they would've escaped. I could read their professionalism through their movements. I see no problem with the fact that I killed them. And the beggars that died? No one knew about them squatting in that area so it was not broadcasted. The Avengers' reputation was salvaged. Everything is good when it ends good."

"You have to follow the orders, not just run off to do your own thing without a care for the rules, or in this case your partner."

"I've been alone since I can remember, Falcon. I work alone. I'm not good at playing with other people," she muttered as she narrowed her eyes at him, causing his anger to simmer down a bit.

"And still, even if you had decided to disregard the orders, you should've considered the innocent people that could've been harmed by your actions. You don't become a superhero with thinking like yours. You caused the death of innocent people and that's not how the Avengers work," he berated her and something in her snapped.

"Is it? Really? Is it? Because I remember New York, DC, Sokovia and Lagos very well…" she spat out venomously and the three men froze, paling drastically. There was a tense silence before the squeaking of shoes could be heard.

"Um, Mr Stark? There are bloody footprints on the floor," came in Peter's voice as he stepped through the elevator doors. "WOAH! Holy-" he exclaimed as his eyes landed on the bloodied girl, who didn't pay him any attention, still busy sneering at Sam, and Tony quickly strode over to the boy, grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around, shoving him gently out of the room and closing the door with a sharp exhale. Vera averted her eyes and grabbed her own backpack that she had thrown on the couch the moment she had stormed into the room, and went for the staircase, halting only for a second to say what she had wanted to say minutes ago, before resuming the climbing.

"Oh, and Falcon… there is no God."

* * *

"Are you calm now, Sam?" asked Rhodey as he handed a glass of water to the man who nodded, taking it.

"Would you look at that? The girl managed to get him wigged out," commented Tony sardonically and Rhodey rolled his eyes.

"I just don't understand her," groaned Sam as he rubbed his temples. "She was following orders like a soldier until we actually faced the terrorists and started fighting them. It's like she lost herself when she started fighting and wouldn't even listen to me," he let out a heavy sigh and Tony and Rhodey looked at one another. "Something is wrong with her."

"Of course there's something wrong with her. That's why we had to retrieve her and keep her under watch," reminded him Rhodey and he nodded grimly before he furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the men.

"I still don't understand why you supposed that HYDRA were after her just because they were close by."

"Oh, c'mon! A strong individual in a suit and HYDRA nearby? That just screams suspicious," pointed out the colonel. "Tony, are you sure that there was nothing you could find about her?"

"Nope," he popped the 'p' as he plopped down on the chair, bringing his hand to rub his chin as he thought hard over what happened. "On the flash drive that Fury gave me, there was her file that contained… normal information. Her name, her age, the name of her parents, the school she went to, the university she went to, the town she lived in, her blood type, and overall things like that. I checked the school and the university and her name was there, in their registers. Everything screams normal and yet," he grit out as he cupped his mouth before his hand moved to cover his eyes as they closed in deep thought. "And yet I feel like we are missing something."

"Don't beat yourself over it, Tony. Whatever is going on, we'll find out sooner or later. Meanwhile we just have to watch out," said Sam as he shot him a small encouraging smile and Tony nodded at him.

* * *

Vera walked briskly down the streets of the city, still bristling over the events that had transpired. She had cleaned her suit, bathed, dressed and decided to get away from the Tower and everyone's disappointing looks. A walk during the evening always managed to calm her down. She simply walked mindlessly, weaving through the crowds without bumping with anyone, going from the beating heart of the city into the abandoned, dark alleys.

She should've listened to the Falcon. She kicked herself mentally as she mulled over everything that had happened. These terrorists were not just ordinary terrorists who wanted to blow up big masses of people like ISIS did. She knew them. HYDRA was in alliance with OPC - Organization for Political Compromise. Not many knew about that organization. They covered well. It was a small one but the people inside were extremely skilled. They trained specifically for this – to bring down politicians, leaders, laws and to put an end to how the world views power and leadership. They wanted to dictate the world, much like HYDRA. It was a matter of time before the two organizations united powers. They had already managed to compromise a few small countries' governments and set their own rules. They had people infiltrating everywhere – hospitals, police stations, big companies, governments and many others. And what was even more terrifying was that none of their members have died so far. HYDRA and OPC were in alliance for years now. They had united when Vera had still been part of HYDRA. She knew all the members very well which is why when her eyes had landed on the group of four, she knew they had to die. Otherwise they would've totally escaped with the help of some of their infiltrated comrades. But she couldn't reveal her reasons to the Falcon or the others because they would have asked her how she knew about all of this and then her cover would've be blown.

She let out a long sigh as she stopped walking, lifting her head to look at the void of stars sky and taking a deep breath to calm her raging like an ocean mind and heart. She shook her head and shoved her hands in the pockets of her black, ripped jeans, deciding to keep on walking, when suddenly a loud screech pierced the deadly silence, making her halt. She shook her head.

"Why do you care? You don't know them," she whispered to herself as she kept on walking, the scream echoing one more time before she grit her teeth and sharply turned around, sprinting towards the source. No screaming could be heard now, at least to any normal person. But she wasn't a normal person. She could still hear muffled sounds and shuffling with her enhanced hearing. She was getting close. And just when she turned around the corner, there was a bang. The woman slumped dead on the ground, a knife slipping through her fingers. Judging by what she could see, Vera concluded that the man had wanted to steal the woman's purse but she had put up a fight. The woman had a knife and was apparently a fighter, considering a strong man like him had to resort to using a gun in order to defeat her. And judging by the stroller and the crying sounds of the baby, the woman probably lived in this dangerous neighborhood which was why she had the knife with her in the first place – because she knew of the dangers that could be lurking behind every corner.

The man was about to crouch down and grab her purse when he saw her approaching him slowly, like a predator. He inhaled sharply before he fired his gun again. Vera dodged the bullet. It flew past her and embedded into the wall of the building far behind her. He shot again and again and again and Vera dodged them all, diving to the side and even crouching and rolling down before standing up again. This time he got her. The bullet pierced her shoulder, embedding in her bone, and she took a step back due to the force. Her head slowly turned and she looked at the wound and the blood sipping through it, before her face lifted and her eyes lazily fell on his now trembling form, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. He had no more bullets. With a few long strides, she closed the distance between them and grabbed the man by his throat, lifting him in the air and smashing him back on the ground as if he was a rag doll. He let out a yelp at the impact, feeling the cracking of his spine.

"You love attacking helpless women, don't you?" she grunted as she held him down with one hand, climbing on top of him and straddling his torso with her hips, while her other hand flew to her back-pocket, taking out a knife. The man's eyes widened. "Shall we play a game?" she asked as she trailed the blade over his face, making him sputter and whine. She dug the knife and made a line all the way from his forehead to his jaw, all the while he was screaming like a pig. She chuckled. "I thought you were a strong, brave man. Yet you screech like a whore being fucked."

She let his face go and stood up, looking at him with a smirk and twinkling eyes. He sniffed as he stared at her.

"What are you waiting for? You want to live, right?" she asked innocently and he nodded shakily before his face blanched at the deep, sadistic tone she used next, and the cruel smirk that stretched on her face. "Then run."

He scampered on his feet as fast as possible and started running. Vera pocketed the knife and walked after him, her enhanced hearing picking on his footsteps as if they were banging drums.

"I can still hear you!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the dark labyrinth of alleys, causing the man to run faster, tripping over his feet and falling, before standing up again and resuming his run, breathing heavily, sweat and blood running down his face, making it hard for him to see where he was going. A few minutes later, he stopped and placed his hands on his knees, bending, as he gasped for air.

"If you want to breathe easily the best way is to stand straight and lift your head," came her voice from somewhere nearby. He jumped in fright as he resumed his running. Tears stung in the corner of his eyes as he wiped his face from all the fluids, his icy-blue irises darting left and right, trying to catch a sight of a dark figure. He spotted an alley he knew and he slithered around its corner, hiding behind a huge bin and crouching down. When his panting finally calmed down, he let out a sigh of relief, when suddenly he felt warmth right behind him.

"If you want to make the hunt interesting then you shouldn't be so loud and obvious," came a whisper in his ear making him bolt up and ready to run again, when a hand grabbed him by his throat and slammed him on the ground again, a body straddling him. Before he could even shout, a hand grabbed his cheeks and squeezed them, forcing his mouth to open slightly. A second later, the knife was shoved in his mouth, piercing his cheeks from the inside-out, slicing at his tongue, tonsils, gums and uvula, making him gargle in blood as his body trashed around. And finally, the knife went deep down his throat, cutting his Eustachian tube and then his epiglottis and larynx, before she pulled it out and drove it down his forehead. It pierced his head all the way through until it reached the gravel on the ground. He went still a second later and she pulled out the blade, wiping the blood on her already stained with red clothes, before standing up. She looked at the still warm corpse with tilted head before walking away, back at the previous scene of murder.

She threw a look at the woman, crouching down and gently closing her eyes.

Turning around, Vera neared the stroller and looked at the wailing baby inside. It was obvious that the little creature knew what was going on. It knew that its mother was gone. **He** knew, judging by the coloring of his clothes. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she let out a long exhale. A minute later, the baby stopped crying, causing her eyes to shot open. The tiny boy was staring at her with curiosity. He was the picture of purity and innocence. She reached out slowly and took the baby in her arms. And as he looked back at her with those huge, sparkling blue eyes, he let out a cute babbling noise which made her huff gently through her nose as a smile spread on her face. The baby kept babbling as she slowly walked away from the location, rocking it gently in her arms and humming softly.

An hour later, the baby was fast asleep as the girl stood in front of the doors of an Orphanage. She looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, taking in its features, before her eyes landed on the blue bib. There was a word on it, in cursive. Not a word. A name. Dean. She placed a kiss on his forehead before she lowered him and put him on the doorstep. Ringing the bell a few times, she took a few steps back, threw one last glance at the sleeping baby, and disappeared in the darkness.

* * *

Once again she found herself walking aimlessly through the streets. But this time she was walking towards the light and the center of the city, where there were still people roaming even at this hour. She was a bit in a daze as she walked into a random supermarket and looked through the shelves. Grabbing a big bottle of scotch, she walked to the cashier and threw the money on the counter, ignoring the horrified look she got.

"'s not mine," was all she said as she turned on her heels and stumbled out of the shop, taking a deep breath. Whirling around, she once again started walking towards the darker, empty, alleys, and plopped her butt on an old, almost broken down, bench without a back plank. She grabbed the throat of the bottle and squeezed, breaking the glass, before outstretching her now bloodied hand and shaking off the shards. She brought the bottle to her lips and tipped it, feeling the burning liquid slip down her throat, accompanied by exceedingly tiny crystals from the broken glass that had fallen inside.

"Bad day?" came in a husky voice a minute later and she sighed.

"Bad week."

"Same here," he shrugged as he sat down next to her and grabbed the bottle from her hand, taking a gulp.

"Who did you kill?" she drawled.

"My grandma," he replied as a matter of fact and the two stared at each other before bursting into chuckles. The next few minutes were quiet before Vera spoke.

"What's your name?"

"Stranger Danger," he replied with a smirk and she smirked back.

"Nice to meet you, Stranger. I appreciate your brooding and the whole mysteriousness."

"Glad to hear that. And what do they call you?"

"No one."

"No one, huh? Interesting," he whispered as his finger brushed her wet from the scotch lower lip before his hand cupped her cheek. "And does No one want to know nothing?"

"Only if Stranger is capable of making her forget everything," she whispered back and he gave her a smirk before his lips met hers.

* * *

Too much light. That was the first thing that crossed her mind as she grunted while stretching her body, tangling herself more in the chilly sheets. Looking at the clock on the bed-stand-cabinet, her eyes widened. It was almost 12pm. She huffed as she stood up, wishing to go take a shower, when the bathroom door swung open, revealing a very naked and wet Stranger.

"Wanna join?" he asked with a knowing look and lusty eyes and she smirked.

"You already know me so well," she gushed at him before chuckling and following him into the bathroom.

* * *

Vera actually found herself thinking of the handsome man as she walked all the way back from the run-down hotel to the Tower. Something in that man sparked her curiosity and she was intrigued – almost drawn to him. He was a real charmer but she could feel that there was something more to him, like a hidden dark side. Her thoughts kept drifting to him even when she stepped in the elevator, letting it take her to the living room. She was quickly snapped out of her trans-like state once the doors opened and she saw a group of people inside, chatting loudly.

"Ah, look who the cat dragged in!" exclaimed Tony as he stalked over to her with a glass full of scotch in hand.

"Hello, Stark. What are you doing?" she asked with a scrunched up nose and he shrugged.

"Just drinking and having a fun time. You should try that," he smirked teasingly and she rolled her eyes.

"Celebrating our victorious mission, I see," she returned and he frowned. "I notice you've cleaned the blood from your expensive tiles. As expected," she nodded and his frown deepened.

"You are brutal you know that? Now you've ruined the fun," he said as he pouted. "And speaking of blood… Why is it coating your clothes? Who did you kill?" he asked with squinted eyes and she smiled.

"That's a story for another time," she made a step forward only for her elbow to be grabbed by Tony.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a tint of concern lacing his voice.

"I'm fine," she reassured him before her eyes landed on the woman staring right back at her from one of the red couches.

"Oh, myy… What do we have here? Stylish hairstyle, suspicious expression, fashionable clothes… you must be Nakiya," observed the girl and the woman gave her a faint half smile, half smirk, lifting her glass in greeting.

"And you are the fiend that almost made Sam bleach his brain," returned T'challa, who was sitting next to her, and Vera burst out laughing which was both shocking and amusing to the people occupying the room because they have never heard her laugh or have seen such a sincere expression of joy on her face.

"Who even uses the word "fiend" anymore?"

"Apparently, Sam. He is a poet at heart," he muttered in amusement and Vera snorted.

"Should've guessed. He takes over Captain America now which apparently means he steals his age too. One would think he would complain about, I don't know, arthritis or erectile dysfunction. But apparently there is a new disease for old people called "Vera". It's good to know. I'm advancing," she let out a long mocking sigh as she put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Ha, ha, very funny," grunted Sam as he just entered the room, "I'll just ignore that you just called me old."

"Oh, shoot! Now our fun's ruined, younglings," exclaimed Emma sadly. "I'll be going to bed before **grandpa** decides to spank me," she winked at Sam before quickly climbing the stairs, not giving him a chance to retort as Rhodes whistled.

"She got you good."

Vera shook her head as she tuned them out. All she wanted right now was to pull out the damn bullet that was still moving inside her flesh, poking and prodding at her. The pain had been welcomed the last nigh but it was starting to bug her now. She got rid of her jeans and t-shirt, throwing them on the beige, leather couch of her living room, before shrugging off her boots as well. She grabbed an elastic band from the small glass table and pulled her hair in a high ponytail, whirling around, ready to go and grab the first aid kit from one of the kitchenette's cupboards, when her eyes landed on no other than Tony who was giving her the look of 'You can't fool me'. She brought her arms in front of her body, trying to cover herself, making him snort.

"C'mon, kid. I've seen countless of naked women during my life. I think I already told you about that," he shook his head as he opened the cupboard and took the kit, nearing her.

"It's not the same…" she murmured to herself, allowing him to grab her shoulders and force her to sit on the sofa. "What are you doing?" she asked and he raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't it obvious?" he answered with a question of his own as he opened the kit and took out bandages and everything necessary to clean a wound. "I have a daughter, you know? My father wasn't the best example when it came to parenting and I feared I would be just as bad as him. But then Morgan was born. It was hard at first but as time passed by I found out that being a parent just comes naturally to you and you learn quickly with every passing day," he smiled as he poured some water on a big chunk of cotton and started cleaning the bits of blood that wouldn't stop dripping down her skin. "My point is, I'm now an expert at recognizing when someone is lying. Especially if it concerns them. 'No, I'm not hungry', 'No, I'm not tired', 'No, I'm not hurting'," he whispered the last word as he looked her straight in the eyes and something told her that he wasn't referring to the bullet wound only. He then narrowed his eyes at the small hole.

"It's not deep. It appears to have embedded in your collarbone. I think I can pull it out," he muttered.

"I can do it myself, you know? I've done it multiple times already. Pulling bullets, stitching my own wounds, fixing dislocated shoulders, treating stab wounds," she chuckled at his shocked expression. "Extreme situations. Can't go to the hospitals," she shrugged, hissing because of the wound. Now she wondered just how did she ignore the pain during the hardcore fucking she and Enzo had? And then she slept through it. The bullet hasn't moved, though. She could feel it perfectly well, still embedded in the same spot.

"I'm not going to ask how you are able to self-treat yourself so well, or how do you even get in such situations… but just let yourself be treated and cared for by someone else," Tony murmured and shook his head as he let out a sigh, grabbing long forceps and adjusting himself. "It's not deep so it will be fast. On the count of three. One," the word barely slipped his lips as he thrust the forceps in the hole, jerking and poking at it, successfully opening it more before digging inside. She groaned and grit her teeth as he dug for awhile, feeling as he finally managed to grab the little devil and pull it out, letting it clank against the glass as he dropped it alongside the forceps, cleaning the wound with water and then alcohol, putting on some ointment and then powder before bandaging it.

"You know, I didn't need all these things that you put on my wound. The bandage would've been enough. In fact, even without the bandage I would've been fine. I heal quite fast," she revealed to him before bringing up her hand to his face. "See? I cut my palm open but now it's all gone."

He grabbed her hand and lowered it, tracing his fingers through the faint lines marring her skin, before his wide eyes found hers.

"Let me guess. You won't tell me how you got those healing powers," he spoke with exasperation and she chuckled.

"Not yet."

He shook his head as he pulled everything back in the kit, returning it in the cupboard before grabbing the bullet and throwing it in the bin. He stood there for awhile, staring at the kitchen with his back turned on the girl, before he whirled and looked at her.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he asked and she tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

"They broadcasted it. Morning news. Two murders and a missing baby," he wasn't surprised when he didn't get a reaction out of her.

"It was me."

"That woman was shot… and so were you… but the man's corpse was not anywhere near hers… Did he manage to slip away? Or did you let him?" he asked seriously, his gaze penetrating hers, as if he was staring at her soul and not her eyes. That actually made her look aside and fidget. The reaction was enough of an answer for Tony. He let out a sigh. "You let him run. Then you hunted him through the alleys and killed him… in a horrible, painful way… Why?"

"Because he killed a young woman for no reason and orphaned a baby," she answered in a heartbeat.

"I was left with the impression that you don't value the human life much. And that you don't care about innocent people," he lifted an eyebrow and she frowned.

"I don't," she whispered and he shook his head, approaching her slowly and taking off his jacket, draping it over her body and adjusting it, before leaning down.

"Didn't I tell you I was an expert?" he asked rhetorically as he placed a quick kiss on the crown of her head before walking away, leaving her alone. She gripped the jacket and snuggled in it, staring at the now empty spot in front of her, her eyes glazing over as her mind wandered off to dangerous places and forbidden thoughts that she had locked long, long ago.

* * *

_"Now lay still."_

_"No, please, don't do that!"_

_"Hold her still and finish with the damn anesthesia!"_

_"Sir, do you think it's a good idea? What if she reacts like last time?"_

_"Then we have someone who can stop her..."_

_"The surgical weapons are ready, sir."_

_"Then we can begin."_

_"No!"_

Vera gasped as she shot from her lying position, panting, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She closed her eyes and put a hand over it as if to calm it down.

"Light… light," she muttered as her hand fumbled with the lamp on her night stand, turning it on and bathing the dark room with pleasant, yellow glow. Letting out a long sigh, she got up and neared the dresser, huffing.

"Huh…candlestick. For once Tony's extravagancy turned out to be useful," she grabbed the candlestick that had three long, white candles nestled inside, before going to her wardrobe and rummaging through the pockets of her leather jacket. Taking out a lighter, she lit up the candles and exited the room. The whole compound was dark and silent. It was a bit eerie. Frankly, Vera hated the dark. She had a case of phobia that sometimes would lay dormant and she would be able to go through the night without anything but a fast heartbeat. But sometimes it would spike up and turn into a disaster that would force her to take medications.

Walking slowly and expertly, without making any noise, she made her way to the training grounds where she placed the candlestick on one of the benches before making her way over to the boxing area, grabbing a bandage roll that was carelessly thrown near the benches, and quickly wrapping her knuckles. Facing the slightly swaying huge object, she started her usual night training. She was used to such a routine. She would have a nightmare or she would simply wake up because she didn't need more sleep and energy, and she would waltz to the training room, here at the compound, or would go split wood when she was back in Bulgaria, and just exercise.

She didn't count the minutes but she guessed that it's been at least half-an-hour since she started and so she decided to take a short break.

"Hiding in the shadows?" rasped out Vera at the figure swallowed by the darkness of the room.

"Can't sleep?" asked the person as they finally stepped out of the murk, their face illuminated by the rays of light from the candles as the distant fire clashed and danced alongside the red strands of their hair.

"Much like you, Maximoff?" asked Vera with a knowing smirk and the redhead returned it.

"Wanna spar, Petrova?"

"Sure."

The girls neared one another and took battle stances, looking at each others' eyes. Brown clashed with blue and a second later, it was their fists' turn. Wanda sent a kick Vera's way but the girl grabbed her ankle and swept out her own leg, trying to trip her but Wanda quickly jumped and wrapped her other leg around the girl's torso. Both of them stumbled on the ground and wrestled. But suddenly, Vera ceased her attempts, letting her hands drop and legs rest freely on the cold floor.

Wanda stopped as well as she stared at the unmoving girl, noticing the conflicting emotions in her eyes. Vera had spent barely a month at Avengers Tower and during that time she tried avoiding conversations, but Wanda was no fool. She learned how to read people's emotions and feelings through their eyes. The eyes were the mirror of the soul and however hard you tried hiding your true feels, it was impossible to actually do it.

"What happened back then? When the purple pumpkin attacked?" asked Vera quietly and Wanda chuckled softly.

"Grape, Giant Blueberry, Purple Pumpkin… I'm afraid to ask of the other names you have for him," her light smile faded, though, and a frown settled in. "He was a menace. He came out of nowhere and took everything from us," whispered the girl. "We fought hard. We did our best… but it wasn't enough."

"And Tony?" murmured Vera, causing Wanda to furrow her eyebrows slightly.

"I turned into dust so I don't know any details but… judging from what Rhodes and Peter told us… Tony fought Thanos on a planet called Titan alongside Peter Parker, Stephen Strange and a few other individuals. Apparently, Thanos dropped a moon on him and proceeded to stab him. Then everyone turned into dust and Tony was left with just one person. They tried getting back to Earth but the space ship was damaged. They were on the brink of death, food ending, oxygen ending, when Carol Danvers saved them… brought them back to Earth. Afterwards, Tony wasn't himself. He was devastated over Peter's loss and blamed himself for… everything. He took matters heavily and that took a toll on his health. Or so Rhodey said," narrated Wanda quietly and Vera gulped.

"And…and the battle? I know that there was a battle."

"Another Thanos appeared, from the past… or rather from an alternate reality… He came with his whole army and we all fought but in the end it was all about the stones once again. Tony was the only one close by. He took the stones and…snapped his fingers. He dusted Thanos and his whole army and… everything ended," finished the redhead sadly and Vera exhaled shakily. Wanda's eyebrows furrowed.

"You love him," she stated and just when Vera was about to respond, someone turned on the lights, causing the girls to freeze.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your… evening entertainment, but I need Maximoff," echoed Tony's voice as he sent a smirk their way.

"I thought everyone was asleep," muttered Vera as she pushed away a strand of hair and stood up.

"Tony likes to stay up late in his lab," informed her Wanda and Vera raised an eyebrow.

"I've been meaning to ask you… Can I use the lab? I want to make some modifications on my suit," asked the girl, a bit timidly, and Tony's expression scrunched up weirdly as he threw a questioning look at Wanda who just shrugged lightly and avoided his gaze.

"Why not? We can work together,"

"Yeah… maybe," she muttered and he stared at her for some time before nodding at the redhead who sighed before following him.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

* * *

"Morning, sunshine," chirped Tony as he slipped into the lab and Vera rolled her eyes.

"Morning, drunkard," she chirped back and he sent her a fake offended face.

"How's your suit going so far?" he asked and she sighed.

"So far so good, I guess. Thanks for letting me use the lab. The suit is cool as it is but it would be great if I make it easier to put on and maybe add an AI to it," she hummed and Tony nodded.

"We can always play with nanotechnology especially if you want to easily put it on. Making AI is an easy feat."

"It is. But what I want the most is to make the suit fly to me. Because what if I'm not wearing it but a situation arises and I need it? I want it to fly from the other end of the world if it has to, and wrap around me like a glove," she pondered with her fingers brushing her chin.

"My suits can do that. I can help making yours like that," he told her and her eyes shot to him, assessing him.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Because you've known me for what? A little over a month? And despite all our talks and bonding you are still suspicious of me. I'm not even going to mention about my… personality and views on certain things," she muttered as she averted her gaze on her suit and Tony sighed.

"Look, kid. I won't deny that I'm still suspicious. You are hiding a lot of stuff from me, us, but I will get to the bottom of this anyways. And when I do… I don't think my opinion on you will change much… You are a good kid."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked and he shrugged.

"Call it a gut feeling or an instinct."

The two of them worked on the suit for about an hour, until the heavy silence and the constant glances Tony sent her way got to her.

"Alright, I know you want to ask something so just do it already," she grunted and he dropped the soldering iron, facing her.

"I have many things to ask and you know it," he muttered.

"I know," she whispered. "But you get to ask only one thing."

"Why did you agree to come here?" he asked after a minute of silence and she crossed her arms.

"Because someone taught me that you can either do nothing or do something… and I already tried nothing."

"Who taught you that?" he furrowed his eyebrows and she smirked.

"Steve Trevor."

Tony deadpanned and her smirk melted into a smile.

"Why are you here, Tony?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You have family, don't you?" she clarified and he hummed.

"Yes... I do have a family. The best family I could ever ask for," he smiled.

"Then why are you here in the Tower? You should spend time with them. Time is precious and should be treated carefully," she all but grit out, causing him to raise his eyebrows and lifts his hands in surrender.

"Woah, there! I know that. I do spend time with them. I go back home every day but just like Pepper, I also have to work," he explained and she faced away. He stared at her for awhile before sighing. "Besides… there is something else I'm trying to find out. It's not giving me peace," he admitted and she sharply turned to face him again.

"What do you mean by not giving you peace?"she asked almost frantically which made him look at her weirdly again. She was acting odd and he didn't like it.

For the almost two months Vera was living in the Tower, he was used to her being cold, indifferent, almost emotionless. She had her moments when she would crack a joke, smile or laugh, reveal just a tiny bit of the kind and caring side she was hiding, but they were all outshined by her coldness and the distance she kept. He knew that the others' suspiciousness would get in the way of them being more friendly to her which was why he had taken it upon himself to try and talk to her, break through her icy walls despite her attitude, never mind how many times she would make it clear that she wanted to be left alone or that she didn't want to talk to anyone. He was stubborn and she knew it which was why she had stopped trying to keep him at a distance.

There were times he wondered just why did she even agree to join when she wasn't that keen on saving innocent people, and preventing collateral damage, or bonding with the team. There were times when he would wonder why did she let **him** in and what was it that he had done to reach such a level within her book of good graces. Because he was sure he had reached a certain level. The two of them were able to hold long conversations. They could talk about anything. They loved theorizing and even worked on cars together and now on her suit. He wondered if he was doing the right or the wrong thing. He wondered if the others were doing the right or the wrong thing. And most of all he was wondering what Vera was doing. She was just…odd. He had never met a person like her before and he was ready to burn all his awards and titles of being a genius because for all his prizes he just couldn't and couldn't decipher that girl and her motives.

"It means just that. It's not giving me peace… I died. The whole damn world knows that. And then suddenly I'm back? How? Why? Who?" he spoke as he stood up in order to pace, hands in his pockets. "I want the answers to those questions," he muttered as he stared at the wall before his eyes landed on her, noticing her gulp and look away as she pursed her lips.

"Cooping yourself up in this facility won't help you find answers to such grandiose questions. Just go and be with your family. Whatever happened, happened. Be happy and grateful," she muttered as she stood up as well.

"I am grateful. And I am happy… but I cannot let that go," he told her firmly and she threw him a glance over her shoulder before she walked out of the lab.

* * *

_Shot through the heart_

_And you're to blame_

_Darlin', you give love a bad name_

Vera danced to the beat of one of her favorite songs, her long hair swishing left and right. She grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured some in her glass, rising the bottle higher and higher while she did so, until it reached the level of her head and she tilted it so she could pour some in her mouth.

Walking to the dresser, she left the glass and the bottle on top, catching a stray drop from the corner of her lips and licking her finger, as she entered the wardrobe room that Tony had installed despite her protests. Believe it or not, Tony had filled that wardrobe with clothes. He had told Pepper of Vera's style and had even given her the sizes, and the strawberry blonde had gone shopping. When one day Vera had returned from a mission and entered her room, the wardrobe room had been waiting for her, filled with clothes. When she had confronted Tony about this he simply said that someone who worked for them couldn't look so sloppy.

"An angel's smile is what you sell. You promise me heaven, then put me through hell," she sang as she pulled a pair of smooth, dark purple jeans and a white corset, grabbing high, brown leathered boots on the way out. She was currently swaying her naked self, sporting a pair of lacy red underwear.

Meanwhile, Peter was lying on his bed in his bedroom on the floor right above hers, talking to his best friend Ned. **Trying** to talk to his best friend. He had trained so hard today that he literally had no strength left to return home. He was grateful that Mr Stark had made a floor for him too, despite everything.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I'll be able to show up. Can you think of an excuse? I promised Mr Stark that I will train for the weekend. I need to be prepared if I want to go on serious missions. I mean, look at Vera. Yeah, she is the girl I've been telling you about. She isn't even an Avenger and yet they let her go on missions while I'm still told to train more and stick to being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," he huffed as he turned to lie on his stomach, trying to ignore the blasting music coming from the room right below his.

"Maybe it's because she is older than you?" came in Ned's voice but Peter's ears were ringing. He had sensitive, enhanced hearing and the music plus Ned's talking wasn't doing him any good. Not even mentioning how tired and sleepy he was.

"Ned, I'll call you in a bit, ok?" he waited for the response and then cut the call. Getting up from his bed, Peter exited his bedroom and quickly went to call the elevator. The doors opened and he stepped into Vera's floor. Nearing her bedroom, he opened the door ever so slightly, peeking inside. His eyes widened. Vera was dancing, totally uncaring of her surroundings, as she brought the glass full of alcohol and gulped it in one go before going to the bed and picking up an object which he realized was a gun. She checked it from all sides and then loaded it. What made him flush was the fact that she was in her underwear. Well, she had her jeans on but he could see her bra and her…

His thoughts were completely interrupted when the gun was fired and the bullet hit a spot on the wall, mere inches from his head. He jumped and fell on his butt. The door was thrown open a second later and an amused Vera was staring at him with a hand on her hip while the other held the gun. There was a lollipop in her mouth which didn't stop her from showing him one big smirk.

"You stalkin' naked girls, Parker?" she asked and he quickly jumped on his feet with a look of desperation.

"No! Of course not!"

"Mmhm… want some candy?" she pulled the lollipop from her mouth and offered it.

"N-no, I-I can't…"

"You can't suck a lollipop that's been sucked by a girl? Are you gay?" she asked casually with a tilt to her head.

"No! I mean yes! No, I mean no for the both questions!" he waved his hands and she chuckled.

"Don't get your star wars boxers in a twist," she winked as she threw him a lollipop from the pocket of her jeans and he barely caught it, still flushing and trembling from the previous embarrassing moment.

"Now that you are here, make yourself useful," she beckoned him inside and he cautiously followed her into the room. He averted his gaze when she unclasped her bra and threw it on the bed, grabbing the corset and putting it on. "Tighten these laces," she motioned with her head to the long, dangling, silky laces of the corset and he gulped, pocketing the lollipop she had given him and taking a few steps forward, hesitantly grabbing the ties and tightening them. Vera just kept one hand on her hip and the other on the high, mahogany wooden piece of the bed while her head bobbed to the rhythm. A few minutes later, Peter was done. He gulped once again as he brushed the sweat from his forehead and quickly backed away as his cheeks couldn't seem to regain their normal color.

"Woah, you have some power in those scrawny arms of yours. Now I can't breathe. Much like Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean. Better catch me when I fall," she sent him a teasing smirk but he seemed to freak out.

"I'm so s-sorry! Let me redo them!"

"Parker," she started as she lifted her hand and brought it down towards him. He cringed, expecting her to hit him, but her hand slowed down and grabbed him by the neck, bringing him closer to her. She pecked his flaming cheek, his burning skin hot on her lips. "I was just messing with you… Thank you," she gave him a smile before grabbing her brown leather jacket, which matched her boots, and exited the room, her long curly hair bouncing everywhere as she hopped.

Peter was left standing there with a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to swallow. But after a few minutes, after the roar of a motorcycle echoed around the premises of the facility, he was snapped out of his stupor and quickly left her room, rushing over to lock himself in his own. He buried himself in his bed as he replayed everything in his mind – her luscious hair, her tanned skin that looked so beckoning to the touch, her chocolate brown eyes shining with mirth and hiding so many other emotions and wisdom that he couldn't yet place, the way her breasts were tightly compressed by the corset, causing the upper part to pop out, looking tempting when her chest heaved up and down. And then he replayed her soft lips. Her kiss was like embers, sending tremors through his body and making him burn even more. He turned around, staring at the ceiling before quickly getting up and storming into the bathroom.

* * *

"What do you want, Stark?" rasped a man and Tony sighed as he looked at Wanda.

"Nice to see you too, Barton," he greeted happily and the archer rolled his eyes. "You are hiding in that farm of yours. Had to send Sabrina the witch to find you," he commented and Wanda glared at him, causing him to shrug playfully. Clint let out a laugh.

"Look, we just need you to recognize someone for us, ok? When Sam first saw her, he said that she looked familiar," explained Tony and Clint raised an eyebrow. "He couldn't pinpoint exactly **why** she seemed familiar but then he remembered that he had gotten the description and the story from you. You have good eyes," winked Tony.

"So, you got some chick's description and you want me to see her and confirm? Is this the girl that you recruited as a trainee or something?" he asked again and Tony nodded.

"Yeah, there was something suspicious about her. Mostly the fact that HYDRA seem to be after her," revealed Tony and Clint's eyebrows furrowed. Then Tony pressed a button and a picture of Vera showed up with basic information appearing next to it. Clint's eyes widened as he froze.

"That's her. Vera Petrova. Apparently an enhanced individual, lost her parents in an accident, was found by-" narrated Tony until Clint interrupted him, his voice low and grim.

"That's not any Vera Pterova. That's not just some enhanced girl. You morons," he grit out as he glared at Tony who looked extremely confused. "This is the Leviathan!"

Wanda averted her gaze guiltily. Tony still looked confused while Clint rubbed his face and put his hands on his hips, staring everywhere but at the photograph.

"I… don't… exactly get what you're talking about," admitted the billionaire and the archer huffed. Wanda gulped as she turned to face the perplexed man.

"You know about Barnes, right? How he used to be a ghost story? A legend?" she asked and the man nodded. "Well, the Leviathan is also a ghost story. Or at least it was until… Clint clashed with her."

"Clashed is not the word I would use," he said as he shook his head. "She almost cut my head off after I managed to shoot an arrow that ripped off her mask, allowing me to see her face. Even till now, I'm surprised that there is a person who can throw knives so powerfully and accurately, from so far away. I wasn't up close and it was during the night, but boy her features seemed so sharp illuminated by the moonlight. And that bloodthirsty look in her eyes. It etched into my memory," he re-telled the story and Tony looked at Wanda who was staring at the man she considered a father, approaching him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Besides Barnes, the Leviathan was HYDRA's greatest asset. She has killed hundreds of people. There were sightings of her in Sudan, back when the civil war raged, probably integrating into their forces to search for strong individuals to kidnap and bring to HYDRA. She is an insane psychopath that must be ridden off immediately," continued Clint and Wanda looked at the other man.

"Tony…"

* * *

Vera parked the motorcycle in the garage and slowly got off, grunting. She had met up with Stranger who had finally revealed his name to her. Enzo Whitmore. Had a nice ring to it in her opinion. They had met in a club and they had danced and drank and then went to the bedrooms of the club and had one wild night. She remembered how he bit and scratched her. The bed had been stained with their blood and other fluids. It was pretty savage and she was hurting all over. It was around five but it was still dark outside when she entered the facility and quietly made her way through the halls, letting the elevator bring her to her floor. Stepping past the doors and sliding in her living room, she tiptoed by the couches when a lamp was turned on, causing her to freeze.


End file.
